Lotus Rhizome with Ganas

The ornamental relief, although broken into three parts, forms a unit and could be a section of the innermost band of a temple doorframe or niche. Its use, however, makes both these choices difficult, the upward movement of the rhizome would indicate that it was not an architrave. The panel is enclosed on all sides by a margin. The rhizome begins rather abruptly, the usual Padma-Mula or nodule not being present at the base. They stalk, to which cling naked Yaksas, undulates upwards in an energetic movement accompanied by froth like foliage bursting from the nodes. The chiselling is exquisite, the multiple planes inducing a vibrant interplay of light and shadow. The panel is one of the finest examples of the Gupta decorative style.